We All Live Here

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, bullying, and sexual content.

Lila is the main character of the novel. With the exception of the seven “Celie” chapters and one “Francesca” chapter, the entirety of the novel follows Lila’s point of view. In the chapters titled with her first name, the third-person narrator inhabits Lila’s consciousness and describes the narrative world according to her experience.

Lila is a 42-year-old, recently divorced, single mother of two girls, Celie and Violet. She is also a writer who found authorial success with the publication of her personal growth title, The Rebuild. The book focuses on how to reestablish intimacy in a marriage and prioritizes Lila’s seemingly idyllic relationship with her now ex-husband, Dan. In the narrative present, Lila is still reeling from Dan’s decisions to have an affair with and leave Lila for Marja, as well as her mother Francesca’s untimely death. Lila lives in an old, idiosyncratic house with her daughters; her stepfather, Bill McKenzie; and their dog, Truant. Her home life only becomes more unpredictable when her estranged father, Gene, shows up on her doorstep, looking for a place to stay.

Although grateful for her family, Lila struggles to balance her domestic challenges with her attempts to reignite her writing career and find time for herself.